Slotted Fastener for Suspenders

ABSTRACT

My “Slotted Fastener” for Suspenders is a unique design that keeps the suspenders in place and will not disengage from the wearer&#39;s waist belt or pants or trousers as other fasteners do. My “Slotted Fastener” will not disengage and will not damage the wearer&#39;s clothing because the wearer&#39;s belt slides through both the belt loop on the pants and through the slotted suspender fastener. The slot on the “Slotted Fastener” allows the belt loop to be caught by the belt passing through it.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention is related to articles of clothing. More specifically, this invention is related to suspenders which hold up pants or trousers.

CURRENT U.S. CLASS

2/327, 2/326

FIELD OF SEARCH

2/327, 2/326, 2/319, 2/311, 2/312, 2/340, 2/338

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

My invention is the “Slotted Fastener” for suspenders that hold up trousers or pants. The “Slotted Fastener” is a unique way of fastening the suspenders to the wearer's waist belt. Many people, for many reasons, wear both belt and suspenders to secure a pair of pants around their waist. There have been patents granted for other fasteners that clip onto a wearer's belt, but unlike others, my “Slotted Fastener,” in normal use, will not accidently disengage from the belt. Nor will it damage the fabric of the pants. Unlike other fasteners, the “Slotted Fastener” can be manufactured from various materials: extruded plastic, brass, harness leather, nylon, etc. Other such fasteners (such as the patented “J” hook design) will not work if manufactured from a soft, pliant material such as leather or nylon. In addition to its security, the “Slotted Fastener” is more practical for carrying weight on the waist belt such as tools or a sidearm. Finally, besides the peace of mind of wearing suspenders that will not accidently come off of the pants, the “Slotted Fastener” is comfortable to wear.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Other suspender fastener designs that utilize the belt loop are hooks or clips that hook only onto the belt loop—not onto the belt. The pressure and strain on the fabric can and will tear the belt loops from the pants if too much strain is applied.

Suspenders that clip on (spring clip and teeth) are unreliable in that often the back clasp or spring clip (at the wearer's back) is easily knocked off the pants when the wearer brushes up against something solid. Most often the clip is knocked off when the wearer enters or exits his car or truck simply by brushing up against or catching on the car or truck seat. In time, these clips can and do shred the fabric of the pants. Also, the spring on the clip loosens after a while and the fasteners too easily slip off the pants on their own.

The Hold Up Suspender Company holds a patent for a “No-Slip Clip” that uses a spike or a pin that pierces the fabric of the waistband on a pair of pants. The company claims there is no damage to the pants, but catching the suspenders on an immovable object may readily result in torn pants.

Suspenders that have “J” hook designs can fall off the wearer's belt and pants as soon as upward pressure is loosened. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,623,735 issued to Don A. Perry, 29 Apr. 1997.)

U.S. Pat. No. 5,623,735 was issued to Don A. Perry, 29 Apr. 1997 for a design that fastens onto a person's belt with a sort of “J” that hooks under the belt. The half-loop of the “J” comes in under the belt with the long edge (the right side of the J) on the outside of the belt and the “hook” side tucked under the belt against the wearer's body. That patented design allows for the pants to be lowered by the wearer who can physically disengage the hooks even when outer garments are covering the suspenders. But many times when the wearer lowers his pants even briefly, the “J” hook—especially the one in back—falls off the belt because there is no longer any upward “pull” of the suspenders holding it in place.

In the 29 Apr. 1997 design, the two front “J” hooks are easier to set back in place than the back hooks because the wearer can see them in front of him—but, once loosened and detached from the pants, trying to keep the suspender strap untwisted can be difficult. Without a mirror the wearer may attempt to reattach the suspenders to his pants, but he cannot always tell whether or not the suspender straps are twisted, especially in back where he cannot see them or feel them. Also, it is difficult to reattach the rear hook while wearing the pants, especially for wearers who are overweight. The “J” hook is designed to pinch the belt tightly, but the hook can become disengaged as often as not simply from the force of gravity.

Also, with the “J” design of 29 Apr. 1997, the hooks tend to fall off or slip off just before a wearer can cinch up his pants as he is getting dressed. At that point he must either drop his pants and reach behind himself to try to reset the “J” hooks in place, or he must remove his pants entirely to reset the hooks and hope the hooks do not slip off again as he tries again to get dressed. My “slotted” design will prevent that because the “slotted fastener” keeps the suspenders in place and untwisted whether the suspenders are loose or taut, whether the wearer is putting them on, taking them off, or simply wearing them as he goes about his daily activities.

As the belt slips through both the belt loop and my “Slotted Fastener,” it is impossible for the suspenders to slip off the belt or the pants. No other suspender fastener offers that feature. Although U.S. Pat. No. 2,437,714 issued to Walter A. Thomason Jr., 16 Mar. 1948 has a fastener that completely encloses the wearer's waist belt, the patent is for a “Trouser and Suspender combination,” the primary object of which is stated to be for the trousers to be readily lowered or removed, or readily put back on—readily detached from the waistline of the pants and readily reconnected without removing the upper garments or “searching beneath the ends of the suspenders.” Instead of belt loops, Mr. Thomason's trouser design has a series of “straps or loops” that fasten in place over the belt by snaps that can be undone “permitting the belt and trousers to be lowered. Upon bringing the trousers (up) to normal position, the snaps may be again snapped over the belt, and thus securely support the trousers in place.” Mr. Thomason's design makes no provision anywhere for “slots” that are the essential elements of my design.

Utility and Uniqueness of the Design

Many men and women who are overweight prefer suspenders to a waist belt because their stomach is bigger than their hips and buttocks. Were they to rely solely on a belt, their pants could fall from their waist with just a cough, sneeze, or simply by reaching to high places such as high kitchen cabinets or workplace shelves.

When persons who are overweight, elderly, or disabled in any way use a belt-suspender combination, it is usually the suspenders that are the most trustworthy. However, one reason a belt is preferred in addition to suspenders is when the wearer must carry items that are intended to be attached to a belt at his waist. He may attach tools to his belt, or a knife, or a sidearm, as in the case of law enforcement personnel, hunters, fisherman, or construction workers. With my “slotted” design, the belt, suspenders, and pants are always secure and anything attached to the belt will stay attached. My “slotted” design allows for the belt to fit loosely or snuggly, and the utility of the suspenders is not affected.

In the case of hunters and fishermen, or anyone who goes outdoors in winter, a tight belt around a person's waist can restrict blood flow and the flow of heat along the upper and lower body. In such conditions, many people prefer a loose, unrestrictive belt around their waist. Again, my design allows for that, as the belt can fit either loosely or snuggly, and again, the utility of the suspenders is not effected.

Clarity of Terms “Suspenders” and “Fasteners”

“Suspenders,” as used in this application, refers to two, and sometimes three straps (usually elastic) worn over a person's shoulders and used to hold up that person's pants or trousers. If two suspender straps are used, they usually come over the shoulders from back to front and crisscross over the wearer's back. The two suspender straps that come over the shoulders, fasten in two places on the rear waistband of the pants, and in two places on the front waistband of the pants. This is referred to as an “X” style or type of suspenders. In the case of suspenders with three straps, two straps begin at the front waistband and go over the wearer's shoulders where the straps are jointed to one strap in the center of the back. The one strap comes straight down from the center of the wearer's back to fastener at the center of the rear waistband of the wearer's pants. This is referred to as a “Y” style or type of suspenders.

“Fasteners” are located at the end of each suspender strap to connect the suspenders to the pants or to the belt around the wearer's waist. The suspender straps are usually fastened to the pants by narrow leather thongs with “eyes” or “slots” cut in the thongs to accommodate the buttons which are sewn inside the waistband of the pants (see U.S. Pat. No. 504,661 issued to William Bloomberg, 5 Sep. 1893). Many suspenders are fastened by barbed metal clips with metal “teeth” that clip onto the waistband fabric of the pants. Another fastening method is a “J” shaped hook on the end of the suspender straps that catches a belt around the wearer's waist and serves to lift or otherwise hold up the belt and the pants. (See U.S. Pat. No. 5,623,735 issued to Don A. Perry, 29 Apr. 1997.)

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

CURRENT U.S. CLASS

2/327, 2/326

FIELD OF SEARCH

2/327, 2/326, 2/319, 2/311, 2/312, 2/340, 2/338

REFERENCES CITED

U.S. Patents Documents

2437714 Walter A. Thomason Jr. 3 Mar. 1948 504661 William Bloomberg 5 Sep. 1893 5623735 Don A. Perry 29 Apr. 1997 

What I am claiming:
 1. I am claiming that my “Slotted Fastener” for Suspenders is different from all other suspender fasteners. What makes it an improvement in design and function are several factors: In my design, the “slot” in the back of the suspender fastener—on the inside of the fastener, closest to the wearer—allows the fastener to fit directly over the belt loop on the pants—which in turn allows the waist belt to pass through the belt loop while simultaneously going through the fastener, securing the suspenders firmly in place. The slot over the belt loop holds the suspenders in the proper position and the fastener will not move side to side. My “Slotted Fastener” holds up both the pants and the belt and securely and comfortably holds up objects hooked to the belt (such as tools or weapons). The design distributes all weight and pressure between the snugness of the belt around the wearer's waist and the suspenders themselves. The suspenders, the belt, the belt loops, and the material of the pants all become a unified “support system” for carrying the weight of the pants and anything attached to the belt, such as tools or weapons. The wearer also has the option of not placing the fastener slot over the belt loop. In that way, the belt does not pass through the belt loop and the fastener simultaneously, and the suspender fastener can be slid along the belt to wherever the wearer is the most comfortable for the weight he is carrying. My “Slotted Fastener” for Suspenders can be manufactured from a variety of materials—from extruded plastic or fashioned from harness leather, nylon, brass, or other material. The unique slotted design is the same for each process and for each material. 